SAN MARCOS, Calif. — Firefighters aided by calmer winds made progress Thursday against several wildfires burning across San Diego County, and authorities collected clues and solicited the public’s help to determine what caused so many blazes to occur simultaneously.

While some of the nine fires were extinguished and thousands of people were able to return to their homes, the San Marcos blaze, about 35 miles north of San Diego, roared back in the afternoon.

The 7,800-acre Winter Valley Fire in Moffat County was 100 percent contained Tuesday as visible smoke from interior islands showed minimal creeping behavior, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Tuesday that he respects the decision of Denver Broncos players on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump and that the president’s NFL criticism was a bid to “distract the country” from his policy failures.